A grinder delivers a powerful statement
by Cary Osborne
The players, the coaches, the guys who play the game, they call it a grind.
It’s long and emotionally and physically taxing and failure happens so often that the little successes are rewards and the big ones can eliminate all the wrongs and missteps of a 162-game marathon.
Chris Taylor was a find in 2017 and a significant factor in the Dodgers’ winning the National League West Division and ultimately the league championship.
But this season has been characterized more by struggle than success.
Until Tuesday night, when in the 10th inning, one swing of the bat and later one finger pointed in the air as he rounded first base, made his season.
With the score tied in the bottom of the 10th inning at Dodger Stadium, Taylor hit a walk-off solo home run off the Rockies Adam Ottavino, giving the Dodgers a 3–2 win and a 1 ½ game cushion on Colorado in the NL West.
“There have been a lot of ups and downs. Kind of been a bit of a grind,” Taylor said of his year. “I think I’m speaking for a lot of guys on our team. This game humbles you very fast. It’s moments like this that you really have to take in and enjoy. But we’ve got another one tomorrow, so you have to have a short memory and enjoy it when it comes along.”
Taylor said a short memory has helped him get through a season where he hasn’t been able to find the consistency of a season ago. He has tinkered at the plate, but has finally found himself with 10 games left to play in the season.
“This game is really difficult, and it’s so sporadic with how you’re feeling,” he said. “You could feel great one day and terrible the next. That’s why it’s so tough.”
Since Sept. 4, a span of 12 games (seven starts), Taylor is 11-for-29 at the plate with five walks and three home runs.
“He really epitomizes what we’re all about,” said manager Dave Roberts. “Loving the big moment, coming through with big hits, really making a huge sacrifice, but being prepared when called upon. And his work every day form the cage to taking grounders to taking fly balls in the outfield. This game honors you. It has a great way of doing that, and it couldn’t happen to a better teammate.”
To get to Taylor’s walk-off homer, Dodger starter Clayton Kershaw skillfully walked a tightrope, allowing two runs in seven innings while walking an uncharacteristic five batters — the 11th time in his career he had walked at least five.
But he limited the damage, allowing three hits, one unearned run (on a rare Justin Turner error) and a solo home run to Charlie Blackmon in the fifth inning.
“Sometimes you’re going to have traffic. Sometimes you’re going to have to pitch through things,” Kershaw said. “I stayed out of the middle. I didn’t give up too many hits. Obviously too much traffic and the one big swing by Blackmon, but other than that I thought, for the most part, it was OK.”
The Dodger bullpen was excellent — four pitchers combining for three shutout innings. Kenta Maeda struck out the side on 10 pitches in the eighth inning. Dylan Floro struck out the two batters he faced in the top of the 10th.
Rockies starter Kyle Freeland walked four and allowed five hits in 6 2/3 innings. He allowed a two-out RBI single to Matt Kemp in the first inning and the Dodgers scored a second run in the fifth inning on a Nolan Arenado error on a flip throw trying to get Austin Barnes out at third base. Barnes scored when the throw got past Freeland and into left field.
The Dodgers wrap up their season series with Colorado on Wednesday. Arizona lost 9–1 to the Cubs and is now six games behind the Dodgers.
